| |
| |
|
Landscaping & Gardening Information |
|
|
|
Bottle Gardening or Terrarium - Design and Maintenance
Women take pride in home decoration and gardening and want some unique and prized possessions that are not part of the neighboring dwellings. Gardening offers opening as there is no end to creativity, especially in the fields of flower arrangement, bonsai, mini-rock garden etc. But a sure and unique possession is a bottle garden. Many of us have seen a ship inside a bottle. This creative craft has given rise to the concept of bottle gardening. Bottle gardening can be compared to an aquarium where fishes survive with regular inputs of water and feed. Like wise, a bottle garden has the essential requirements of soil and water for the survival of plants that are housed in it, but with occasional care and maintenance. Apart from these essential requirements, the bottle garden has reservoir of water which keeps readily available moisture to the plant and also enables a humid environment in the bottle. Bottle gardens if effectively designed can fetch very high price. Selection of plants to be planted for the bottle garden is very important and in quite a few cases people fail to appreciate this fact and try to incorporate any plant they can lay hands up on! An ideal bottle plant is of slow growth and dwarf habit. Because combinations of plants are housed in a bottle garden all the plants selected must be slow growing and dwarf, so that smothering can be avoided. Extremes of temperatures should be avoided and hence the bottle garden should be placed in such a location where there is adequate availability of sunlight. Also the soil or the compost, used in bottle gardens be just adequate for survival of the plants and should not induce vigorous growth. Bottle gardening can be taken up in many different shapes and sizes and one can even go for custom made glass containers of the size and shape of choice. But containers of the shape of a normal bottle with narrow neck are the most effective for bottle gardens as it helps in proper maintenance of humidity and also for the appearance when the garden gets established. The first step is to clean the container thoroughly by using water and detergent. Rich compost is avoided, as the plants are chosen for slow growth and dwarf habit. The compost, which is moistened enough but not wet, is put into bottle by means of a paper funnel, preventing the compost from spilling on the sides of the bottle by adhering to the wet surface. It will be beneficial if a layer of crushed charcoal or small sized gravel is put before running in the compost. This layer of charcoal or gravel acts as water reservoir and replenishes the compost or soil with water as and when needed. Small amount of water can be added by the aid of a straw fitted with funnel or running down the water carefully along the inner surface of the bottle. Coming to planting in the bottle gardens, the plants should have previously grown in small pots so that they have a compact ball of roots with adhering compost. A thin rod or stick be taken to make holes of suitable sizes on the compost layer and the plants are dropped in to these holes, after carefully pressing through the bottle neck. To increase the aesthetic appearance of a bottle garden, natural things of beauty such as colored and suitably shaped stones or pieces of bark can be placed in the bottle garden. Care must be taken to sterilize such things before introduction as these may carry pests and your bottle garden may get destroyed. After planting, the bottle neck is plugged with cotton wool. During the day time when the plant receives sunlight, it is advised to turn the position of the bottle periodically to maintain the symmetry of the plants in the bottle, otherwise, asymmetry may be caused because of elongation or more growth of the portion of the plant towards light. The bottle garden rarely needs watering, but maintenance in terms of removal of accumulated dead leaf and shoots and occasional pruning are necessary for a healthy bottle garden. Direct sunlight causes heavy growth and may even raise the temperature inside the bottle and hence extreme temperatures be avoided. Few of the plants which can be taken up for bottle garden are Pilea, Selaginella, Peperomoia, Maranta etc.You can experiment a lot, keeping in strict adherence to the rule that the plants grow slow and have a dwarf habit. If you have the creativity, time and resources, you can develop a beautiful and unique bottle garden, which can be named after yourself. If you don't have such patience, time, energy, creativity or resources, but want to pride yourself with one, there are many stores around that can offer you a fantastic range! Ravikumar Uppaluri hails from Kaikalur, Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh State in India.The author Holds a Masters degree in Agricultural Sciences.The author is based in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India and is cofounder of an organization involved in Nature conservation and sustainable development. The author can be reached at uravikumar@yahoo.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Landscaping-Gardening - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Avoiding Unsightly Algae Excessive organic matter in the pond provides nutrients for algae, contributing to its growth. Algae can obscure the view of colorful fish, and more dangerously, it robs the water of valuable oxygen and releases harmful pollutants. Using Push Reel Mowers If you're not familiar with push reel mowers or if you haven't used one since "back in the day", there are a few points you should be aware of before using a push reel mower:Don't expect to cut tall weeds or dandelions. You notice how your gas-powered mowers get a little "overwhelmed" when cutting weeds or very tall grass? Those issues are a bit worse with reel mowers because they become harder to push and they are limited in the height of what they can cut. Dill: Scandinavias Most Important Culinary Herb The ancient herb, Anethum graveolens or Fernleaf dill as it is commonly known, was mentioned some 5,000 years ago in early Egyptian writings. It is the most important culinary herb in Scandinavia, as popular as parsley is in other parts of the world. The Incredible Daylily Some people have referred to daylilies as the poor man's orchid. Indeed, daylilies, like orchids, are a beauty to behold. International Flower Delivery As our global community continues to expand we often find ourselves with friends and families who live in countries outside of the U.S. Garden Room Boundaries The areas of your landscape can be divided into several sections and areas, which are also known as garden rooms. Garden rooms are spaces where you plant, grow, and display different ideas in gardening in various creative methods. 9-11 Changed Everything for the Garden Tractor Business While traveling the US and occasionally taking the back highways one might have seen an interesting trend. That is the proliferation of the Lawn Garden tractors. Liner Ponds versus Folding Preformed Ponds IntroductionSo you've decided to build your very own backyard water garden. You are in the process of actively planning out your design, and you're visualizing the end-result. Letting Nature Grow Your Garden It is wisest to let Nature have Her way. Nature has her own agenda, and your life as a gardener will be easier if you bow to Her desires. Multi Purpose Tree - Sugar Palm Palm family is unique in the aspect that most of its members have muli purpose benefits to the mankind, unrivalled by few other trees. There are several palm species such as Borassus, Areca, Sago, Fish Tail etc. Teak Outdoor Furniture - Where Function Meets Beauty The wonderful thing about choosing teak outdoor furniture is that you have such diversity. From chairs to benches to tables and more, teak is the perfect wood for outside entertaining. Garden Statuary - Time for a Fresh New Look Spring is coming, and now is the time to get out and whip those outdoor spaces into shape. With new growth appearing on trees, bulbs popping up and birds and butterflies coming out of hiding, your patio, garden or backyard is ripe for a fresh new look with decorative accents that put a delightful finishing touch on your own little corner of nature. A Few Simple Facts About Purple Martins Purple Martins are the largest member of the swallow family. However, in flight their wings are more triangular than other swallows. A Storage Bench Provides Much Needed Outdoor Space If you are like most of us, there are two things that you cannot get enough of: storage and outdoor seating. What if I told you that I have the perfect solution to solve both of these problems and that it comes in a stylish, hard to resist package?The truth is that by using storage benches to provide comfortable outdoor seating you can solve your storage issues as well. Using Bulbs in Your Landscaping Naturalized bulbs look beautiful in a wooded setting. You can plant them and leave them to multiply. Blue Wild Flowers for Your Garden Planting wild flowers in your garden, or simply scattering wild flower seeds around an area of your yard are both ways to take advantage of Mother Nature's treasured gifts. Wild flowers are carefree, colorful, and tend to attract bees, butterflys and birds. Flowers Wilting? Tips for Making Your Flowers Last Longer We all know one disadvantage of flowers is that they don't last very long. While they are here they bring happiness and warmth to any dull decorating space. The Design Principle of Unity in Gardening and Landscaping A principle of all art is unity. This means that each piece of art has one meaning. Vegetable Growing for Beginners If you have never grown vegetables before the first thing that you need to decide is where to plant them in your garden. Most vegetables need 6-8 hours of sunlight a day although greens can manage with less. Taming Your Outdoors Slapping yourself silly trying to keep mosquitoes from biting you? Besides causing irritating itching bites, mosquitoes can also carry and transmit several diseases including the West Nile Virus. Although you cannot get rid of every mosquito, there are many ways to protect yourself and those around you.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
